House probe sought into Hacienda Luisita dispute

MANILA, Philippines — An investigation by the House of Representatives looms over the land dispute involving the 1,500 farmers and the management of the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI). House Resolution 1129 filed by Anakpawis Reps. Joel Maglunsod and Rafael Mariano questioned an alleged notice of HLI management barring 1,500 farmers from using 2,000 hectares of land. "To earn a living, the dismissed farm workers started tilling the agricultural lands, which represented their total stock share when HLI failed to give the cash equivalent of the stocks distributed to them," Maglunsod said in an article on the House of Representatives website (www.congress.gov.ph). The lawmakers urged the House Committee on Agrarian Reform to conduct an inquiry into Hacienda Luisita management's demand " to determine its effect on the rights of farmers who own and cultivate the lands upon the factual dissolution of the stock distribution option." Maglunsod said that on November 16, 2004, a strike by farm workers of HLI resulted in the lay-offs of those who joined, but exposed the failure of the "stock distribution option" (SDO) to improve the living conditions of the farmers. After more than 14 years of implementation, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), upon the recommendation of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC), revoked the SDO in HLI in 2005. "When HLI questioned the revocation of the SDO, they managed to secure a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against both agencies," Maglunsod said. Maglunsod said the farmers received a notice from a certain Hernan Gregorio, who claims to be the Assistant Estate Manager, instructing the HLI to repossess the lands in question and order the farmers to stop using, cultivating, planting or possessing the land "on or before October 30, 2009," using the TRO as legal basis. "It is interesting to note that the letter was made on December 18, 2008, just a day after the passing of Joint Resolution No. 1 which removed Compulsory Acquisition from the legislated six months extension of the CARP," Maglunsod said. "It is grossly unfair for HLI to restrain the farmers from exercising their ownership rights over the land and to demand its return when, by HLI's own act, it had dissolved the SDO through unjustified dismissal of the farm workers which forced them to claim and till the lands in order to survive the harsh conditions of being out of work," he added. He said there is a difference between the situation in 2005 when the HLI raised the issue with the Supreme Court and the present situation three years hence. At present, there is a factual dissolution of the SDO which can no longer be revived or repaired by restraining its revocation, Maglunsod said. - GMANews.TV